Our memory doesn't work at all the way scientists thought it did
Scientists have discovered for the first time that the area in the human brain where memory is stored consists of not one, but two sections. One is responsible for past experiences of time and place, while the other is more predictable and actively constructs future behavior.Researchers at Cornell University have discovered that our memory works very differently than previously thought. It turns out there are two types of neural code in the hippocampus. One of them is responsible for the ability to "connect the dots on the map". For example, remembering where to go if you need to get a loaf of bread.
The second type of neural code, which is responsible for prediction, involves formulating new plans on the fly. To give an example: if the bakery closed unexpectedly, this second partition would formulate a "plan B."
In a study on rats, scientists used advanced optogenetics to disable one type of memory at a time. By doing so, they were able to identify and isolate two distinctive memory functions.
The experiment will come in handy for treating memory and learning problems that occur in Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
The hippocampus is a paired structure located in the temporal regions of the hemispheres. It performs the function of short-term memory and is responsible for the subsequent translation of information into long-term memory. In Alzheimer's disease (and other forms of dementia), the hippocampus is one of the first brain structures to suffer.
The study is published in the journal Science.